Mac OS Terminal Scripts…but fancy!

Scripts & Tools (macOS)

Finished, macOS-only AppleScript tools built as lightweight wrappers around existing open-source projects.

Kari Launcher

Download:

👉 Click here to download the Kari AppleScript launcher.

What it is

A macOS AppleScript launcher for Kari, designed to make the command-line streaming tool a little easier to use without getting in the way.

Basically, Kari without having to remember what to type into Terminal.

What it does

  • Lets you search for a movie or TV show from a simple launcher
  • Passes the title directly into Kari
  • Opens JustWatch if you want to browse for something first
  • Uses IINA for playback when available
  • Gives easy access to Kari’s built-in watch history and resume features
  • Finds Kari automatically across common macOS install locations

Requirements

  • macOS
  • Kari
  • IINA  or MVP recommended for playback

Install the underlying tool

Kari is created and maintained by Dhairya3391.

👉 Official project & installation instructions:

⁠Kari on GitHub

There’s also a proper app…

I also turned Kari Launcher into a standalone macOS app. It embeds JustWatch so you can browse what’s available, search and launch Kari directly, access your watch history, and generally avoid Terminal until Kari actually needs it.

It even has an icon and a Help menu, so clearly things got a little out of hand.

I’m still not entirely sure whether distributing that version is a good idea, though.

aniCLI Launcher

Download:

👉 Click here to download the aniCLI AppleScript launcher

What it is

A simple macOS AppleScript launcher for ani-cli, built to make watching anime less terminal-heavy and more approachable.

It doesn’t replace ani-cli — it just gets you to the good part faster.

What it does

  • Prompts for a show or browsing

  • Launches ani-cli with sensible defaults

  • Uses IINA as the preferred player (as recommended upstream)

  • Clearly explains what’s happening when Terminal opens

Requirements

  • macOS

  • Homebrew

  • ani-cli

  • IINA media player

Install the underlying tool

ani-cli is created and maintained by pystardust.

👉 Official project & install instructions:

https://github.com/pystardust/ani-cli

Lobster Launcher

UPDATE: Lobster has been deprecated and doesn’t work anymore- replaced by Kari

Download:

👉 Click here to download the Lobster AppleScript launcher

 

What it is

A macOS AppleScript launcher for lobster, designed to feel more like a small app and less like a command-line tool.

This one is deliberately opinionated.

What it does

  • Helps discover what’s popular across streaming services

  • Passes selected titles into lobster

  • Forces VLC for playback to ensure resume / history works

  • Makes Terminal behaviour explicit and safe to ignore once playback starts

Requirements

  • macOS

  • Homebrew

  • lobster

  • VLC media player

Install the underlying tool

lobster is created and maintained by justchokingaround.

👉 Official project & install instructions:

https://github.com/justchokingaround/lobster

Why wrappers?

Short answer: because I’m lazy.

Longer answer:

I don’t want to remember flags, arguments, or which terminal command I used last time. I also don’t want to explain them to someone else.

Wrappers let me:

  • Turn good tools into things I can double-click

  • Bake in sensible defaults once and forget about them

  • Reduce “how do I quit this?” moments for non-technical users (eg my kids…)

  • Keep the original tools intact and visible

They’re not about hiding the terminal — they’re about not having to think about it every time.

Important notes

AppleScript, not native apps

These tools are written in AppleScript and packaged as macOS apps.

They are intentionally simple and transparent.

macOS Gatekeeper (first run)

When opening a script for the first time:

  1. Right-click the app

  2. Choose Open

  3. Click Open again when prompted

This is normal macOS behaviour for unsigned apps.
If these steps don’t work, you may have to go into your security settings and allow the script (I’m thinking os x Tahoe here…go System Settings > Privacy & Security …find the script and allow it!)

Terminal behaviour

Both scripts will open Terminal during use.

When finished:

  • Quit the media player

  • Quit Terminal

  • If macOS asks to terminate the process, this is safe

The scripts explain this in plain language when they run.

Credits & Acknowledgements

All credit for the underlying tools belongs to their authors: